Here are a couple stories about games at Chesaning.

The first one was probably the wildest and most exciting football game I ever officiated.

It was Montrose at Chesaning. They were neighboring schools, big rivals, and, traditionally, had strong teams. Besides that, being nextdoor neighbors, they really didn’t like each other very much, which made the game more intense.

The first half was a wild offensive display, and the half ended 28-28.

There were long runs. There were great passes. It was a wide-open game.

It was exciting to watch and exciting to officiate.

Both coaches adjusted at halftime, and the second half was a defensive struggle. Neither team could move the ball or score, and the fourth quarter ended with the same score as it was at the half.

In overtime, Chesaning won the toss and chose defense (which is the normal choice … you have “the hammer” and will know what you have to do to win).

Montrose got the ball at the 10-yard line and scored on its possession to take a 6-0 lead.

Now, you need to know that Montrose had a big linebacker who had dominated the game on defense.

Chesaning then got the ball on the 10-yard line for their overtime possession.

On the first down, a running play, Chesaning moved the ball from the 10-yard line to the 4. The above-mentioned Montrose linebacker made the tackle but got up in obvious pain, holding onto his arm.

I asked him about the injury, and he said, “I’m OK.”

Second down, Chesaning ran again and gained a yard to the 3.

The Montrose linebacker made the tackle again and came up wincing in pain and holding his arm. Again, I asked him if he was OK, and I got the same answer.

Third down, Chesaning ran it again, and who but the same linebacker made the tackle for no gain.

Like before, he got up in obvious pain. I asked him once more about his arm. His teammates yelled at me, “Get away from him! He said he was OK!”

(Note: If I had thought his injury was one that might have caused permanent damage, such as any head injury, possible concussion, or even a knee issue, I would have made him leave the game. But his was a forearm/wrist injury, so I allowed him to stay in the game).

So, on fourth down, Chesaning ran the ball again and again who else but that linebacker made the tackle on the one-yard line.

Chesaning didn’t score, and Montrose won.

Another Chesaning game that happened a few years before the one mentioned above, also sticks in my mind because of an error our crew made.

I don’t remember the opponent, but the game went to overtime.

It was the first year that the Michigan High School Athletic Association had an overtime procedure, and that game was our first overtime game as a crew under the new rule.

The correct procedure is to flip a coin to start the first overtime. If the game goes to subsequent overtimes, the loser of the first coin toss has the option, and then it alternates between the teams should subsequent overtime periods occur.

Anyway, Chesaning’s opponent won the toss, selected defense, and we played the first overtime.

Neither team scored and the game remained tied.

Here is the mistake: It should have been Chesaning’s option with no coin toss, and the obvious choice as mentioned in the previous paragraph is to take defense.

Instead, we called the captains together and flipped the coin again, and again Chesaning lost the toss again, and, of course, their opponent chose defense.

Chesaning scored, missed the point after, and then the opponents scored and made the point after and won the game.

The loss eventually cost Chesaning a spot in the playoffs.

We officials realized in the car on the way home that we had made a mistake.

Postscript: A couple years later, Chesaning made the playoffs, and their first playoff game was against the school where I taught, Saginaw Douglas MacArthur (no, I never officiated games at the school where I taught).

I attended that game and Chesaning won.

Post-game, I made a point to talk to the Chesaning coach, Jim Eurick (who was a pretty good friend).

I said, “Jim, even though I teach at MacArthur, I was pretty happy to see your team win, because our crew probably cost you a playoff appearance a couple years ago.”

Jim looked at me, smiled, and said, “You flipped the coin twice in the OT, but I didn’t even realize flipping the coin twice was wrong until the middle of the week after that game.”

There are mistakes officials make that they never forget.

Les Miller, of Hubbard Lake, has retired after 53 years officiating multiple sports around Michigan. He can be reached at theoldref@yahoo.com.